Frightening Sci-Fi without the need for an FX boost

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2003)

I'm normally not a fan of British Science Fiction, although movies like Night of the Triffids ranks among the greats. 28 Days Later is not "great" but it really is very good and even plausible.
In an age where aliens from outer space can get a real boost from modern graphics, the strength of this movie rests in our fears of biological destruction through viral mutation and species jumping. AIDS and possibly SARS are the results. And maybe it's this very plausibility that makes 28 Days Later truly frightening.
This is a low budget movie, but the grainy film and use of on-hand weaponry really works.
(Spoilers) Improbabilities? Only two: Western soldiers are the least likely to act like undisciplined rapists under pressure and a shot in the stomach by a 5.56mm NATO round is a good deal more difficult to recover from than it was made to appear, even with the best of medical care.
I was quite surprised to see the IMDB ratings based on demographics. Beginning with the 30-44 range, opinions went down. Given the very mature theme of this film, I can only conclude that it's potential for reality hit them very hard.